Pro Arte Quartet opens Midsummer's season

Pro Arte Quartet will perform at 7:30 p.m. May 9 at the Ephraim Moravian Church.

Midsummer's Music will host the first Door County concert in the 2013 chamber music season featuring the world famous Pro Arte Quartet on May 9.

The concert will be held at the Ephraim Moravian Church at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are priced at $25 for adults and $10 for students. Reservations are recommended, as it is always a popular and often sold-out event.

Pro Arte Quartet is the only quartet in the world to have reached legendary longevity. The ensemble has been in continuous existence since 1911-1912, when its founding students at the Brussels Conservatory in Belgium organized the group. Two of the current members of the quartet are also regular members of Midsummer's Music, violinist David Perry and violist Sally Chisholm. They are joined by violinist Suzanna Beia and cellist Parry Karp. All hold positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The group performs all over the world. The original Pro Arte Quartet first traveled to America for a tour in 1926, where they played at the inauguration of the Hall of Music in the Library of Congress, Washington D.C. Following that, the ensemble returned to the U.S (and Canada) for 30 tours before first visiting Madison in 1938.

Two years later, the musicians became stranded when Hitler invaded Belgium and World War II commenced. The UW-Madison chancellor offered the ensemble a permanent residence. This arrangement was the first of its kind and soon other institutions followed the UW-Madison model for resident musicians.

Midsummer's Music offers intimate concert settings in that the audience members at chamber music events are typically close enough to share the individual emotion invested by each musician in the ensemble.

"We try to create a very personal atmosphere where audience members get the utmost enjoyment out of our performances, but at the same time, we want people to know that we are very down-to-earth and approachable," says Artistic Director and co-founder Jim Berkenstock.

Midsummer's Music audiences have the opportunity to meet the musicians after concerts, allowing patrons get to know the musicians on a more personal level. For those that cannot attend the May performance, Pro Arte Quartet will return for a special Sept. 17 program at Woodwalk Gallery in Egg Harbor.

To see the entire 2013 season schedule and buy tickets for concerts taking place throughout the season, visit www.MidsummersMusic.com or call (920) 854-7088.